The Jimmy Garoppolo experiment appears to be officially over.
The head coach and general manager who hired Garoppolo have both been fired, with the veteran quarterback officially benched this week and replaced by fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell.
Josh McDaniels selected Garoppolo to replace Derek Carr, and his poor performance was a big reason why McDaniels was fired. As more details emerge, it’s starting to feel like Garoppolo is far from the Raiders’ first choice at the end of the 2022 season.
Everyone knows the Raiders want Tom Brady, and there are rumors that decision-makers in the building are divided on the idea of bringing back Derek Carr. Garoppolo was considered the next option, but it sounds like the Raiders actually had another plan fall through before they decided to sign Garoppolo to a three-year, $72 million contract. .
According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the Raiders at one point preferred Jarrett Stidham in their search for a quarterback…
“In a rebuilding year that Davis would have accepted, there was a cheaper option at quarterback. Jarrett Stidham, another former Patriot, sat out last season at Cal. Started two games for the Raiders while coming off the bench, with mixed results.
Ziegler and I haven’t spoken in months (I’ve been called too negative), but when we talked, re-signing Stidham and drafting a quarterback early was a better option than signing Garoppolo Attractive choices. But the Denver Broncos paid more than the Raiders to acquire Stidham ($10 million over two years, $5 million guaranteed), and McDaniels and Ziegler really only like top-five college prospects One of the quarterbacks, while Bryce Young was drafted by the Carolina Panthers. “
Stidham is a fan favorite and looks like a legitimate stopgap with enough upside to keep the quarterback room interesting. He’s familiar with Josh McDaniels and performed well in limited action late in the 2022 season.
Stidham opted to sign a two-year, $10 million contract with the Broncos, catching the Raiders off guard and announcing Garoppolo’s arrival shortly after.
The Raiders’ final offer to Stidham is believed to be a one-year contract worth just over $3 million. It was a lowball offer by any standards, and the Raiders essentially got what they wanted by losing Stidham.
Twitter: @raidersbeat